Torrential Rains in Balochistan Claim Seven Lives, Injure 25

QUETTA, June 30: Balochistan is grappling with severe rainfall, resulting in the tragic deaths of seven individuals, including two children, and injuring 25 others. The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) reported fatalities in Dera Bugti, Jhal Magsi, Khuzdar, Barkhan, and Musakhail. The intense downpours have damaged 258 homes and killed 29 livestock. Additionally, 17 kilometers of roads and 310 acres of crops have been affected.

Several roads have been blocked due to landslides in various areas, and the Meteorological Department has forecast more rainfall in Balochistan. Heavy rains in the Sulaiman Range in eastern Balochistan have caused landslides, disrupting the N70 Highway connecting Balochistan with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The highway at Dhana Sar is closed, leaving numerous vehicles stranded. Roads in Zhob and Sherani districts, including the Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan highway, are blocked, and Turbat Road is also shut to all traffic.

Flash floods have caused streams and rivers to overflow. In Musakhail, heavy rain swept a motorcycle into a river.

Meanwhile, in Lahore, sporadic light to heavy rainfall has brought relief from the heat. The Meteorological Department predicts more rain in the next 24 hours. Rain is also expected in Islamabad, Murree, Galiyat, Gujranwala, Narowal, Sialkot, Balakot, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Swat, and parts of Azad Kashmir.

Conversely, Karachi continues to endure intense heat and humidity, with no rain forecasted. The Meteorological Department noted that the heatwave is expected to subside by this evening as sea breezes return. Karachi’s temperature reached 34°C in the morning, with a heat index of 42°C. The humidity level in the city was recorded at 70%.